


Bad Case of Lovin' You

by SilverOcean01



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Bit of Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Death, Exploring a new place, Family Issues, Love, Siblings, Travel, elementary my love universe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-24
Updated: 2014-09-24
Packaged: 2018-02-18 15:54:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 20,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2354042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverOcean01/pseuds/SilverOcean01
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John's aunt has died and has left it up to him and his sister to arrange her affairs, so John and Harry head to Singapore to bury their aunt. In their two weeks in a foreign country, interesting things happen and John just might find love. </p><p>Set in the universe of "Elementary, My Love." Teen rating for loss of a loved one and alcohol abuse. *It's not as depressing as it sounds, I swear!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. We Have Arrived

**Author's Note:**

> Hello Everyone! So, I've had this idea for awhile and finally decided to write and post it. Hope you like it And please leave a review!
> 
> Set in the same universe as "Elementary, My Love". This is Johns adventures.

 

**Chapter I**

"John! John! Wake up!" John Watson reluctantly raised his heavy eyelids and sighed heavily as artificial light hit his eyes. John shuffled in his chair, trying to wake himself up. John felt fingers prodding his arm as his eyelids fluttered shut again.

"John! We're here. Wake up, lazy bones!" Harry called in his ear as she shook him.

"Alright, I'm up, I'm up!" John responded, swatting his sisters hand away and rubbing his eyes. He stared at his surroundings.

John sat in the aisle seat of a crowded airplane. He had been sitting there for hours, and had just gotten to sleep, only to woken up by his annoying sister and the plane landing. John sighed. Nothing seemed to go his way on this trip already and he doubted his luck would change.

The plane landed without any fanfare. Smooth, simple, routine. Harry was like a little girl again, excited but nervously clutching John as if she'd get lost without him. John smiled to himself as the two of them disembarked from the airplane.

He remembered what felt like not that long ago and yet forever ago, when he and Harry were little kids, when he protected Harry like only a big brother could. But there was one thing he couldn't protected her from - herself.

John dismissed the mental images that began raging around inside his head as Harry grabbed his hand and dragged him towards the luggage carousal. She stood impatiently as she waited for their luggage to appear. After nearly twenty minutes of waiting, Harry dashed from her spot at Johns side and grabbed two bags from the luggage carousal before John realized what was happening. Slowly John walked over to meet Harry who was struggling with the two large suitcases.

"Here, let me help." John said gruffly as he grabbed one of the suitcases, tired from the long flight. Harry concede and then lead the way towards the airport doors, John close on her heels.

The airport was bustling with people, a lot more people then John would have expected for - he glanced up at the large clock - 3:55 in the morning.  _Well, there's travelling for you. Never know what to expect._  He thought to himself as Harry darted out the large glass doors of the airport, John right behind her, and into the busy Singapore street.

Taxis and busses and vehicles of all sorts whirled around in the vast expanse of concrete. The only sound that overpowered the bustle of cars was the deep rumble as a jumbo jet took off on the nearby runway. John glanced around at the blur of lights that streaked the darkness.

John had spent his whole life in London, he knew how crazy the nightlife of a big city could be. But this was beyond anything he had ever seen. The traffic on the highway that ran parallel to the airport had cars packed onto it, almost, but not quite, bumper to bumper. John all of a sudden felt out of place. How crazy a place was it that there was a traffic jam at four in the morning?

John felt Harry tug on his sleeve before climbing into a cab. John looked at the cab driver and smiled as he handed him his bag. The driver tucked it into the trunk before hopping into the drivers seat and speeding off.

"Where to, miss?" He asked, his accent forcing John to focus on the words. Harry gave the address of their dead aunts flat, which they would be staying in since it was paid for up until the end of the month. In about twenty minutes, they arrived. The driver helped them with their luggage and John awkwardly handed him some money, which he wasn't sure he'd take. When the driver just smiled at him appreciatively, John relaxed a bit.

Harry lead the way inside the building, John tiredly following. A young girl was working in the lobby, busying herself with whatever was on her laptop. She looked up as Harry approached.

"Hello." Harry started off cheerfully. "We're Claire Baldwin's niece and nephew." The girls face grew sad and her voice reflected her pain.

"I'm sorry for your loss." She said, closing her laptop and giving Harry her undivided attention. "What can I do for you?"

"If you could give me the key to old her flat, that would be wonderful." Harry said, a sad smile on her face. The young girl nodded and dashed into a room. She returned a moment later with two silver keys in her hand.

"Thank you, miss...?" Harry asked. The girl smiled brightly.

"Liane Sim. And you are most welcome." The girl replied. She seemed to notice John for the first time and she turned to him and smiled. John responded in kind, but he could feel that his own smile was one of a weary traveller. Harry turned to walk down the hall before realizing she didn't know where she was going.

"Um..." She started, but Liane just giggled and said,

"Third floor. Flat 37."

"Thank you." Harry said as she jumped in the elevator and waited impatiently for John.

**OOOOOOOOOO**

Johns head hit the pillow as he finally laid down on the sofa of his aunts flat. He pulled the blanket up over his chest and snuggled down into his pillow. He felt like he was getting to old for this, traveling an absurd amount of hours by plane and train and cab.

All he really wanted to do was be home, in his own bed, the bed he had called his own for more then five years. Hell, he even missed his obnoxious, annoying, loud flatmate and he hasn't even been gone for a full twenty four hours yet! Though John missed him, he knew his friend was safe.

He had left him in the hands of a very capable girl. John smiled at the thought if Ariel chastising Sherlock for an experiment that had gone awry. He knew she could do it too. If there was one thing Ariel Hunt had in her favour, it was that she could be particularly stubborn. And she just might be a match for Sherlock in that regard.

John thought about how he had thrown the burden of keeping Sherlock out of danger on her. John had worried she would say no. But she had accepted eagerly. And when John saw Sherlock and Ariel together, he knew they would both be fine.

John smiled as a stray mental image flashed through his mind, one of Sherlock and Ariel walking down the aisle. He chuckled to himself. That wouldn't happen, not in a million years.

The thought of it though brought him back to the present. His aunt had died, never married after her first husband left her. It made him realize that life is short. And that there were so many things he still wanted to do.

_What am I doing with my life?_  John wondered as he drifted off into a restless sleep.

 


	2. Let The Packing Begin

**Chapter II**

John woke up to the sound of his sister shuffling around in the kitchen. He hadn't slept all the well, dreams of the war flooding his mind, but it had been decent enough.

"Morning." John called out to his sister as he sat on the edge of the sofa, stretching.

"Morning, Johnny." She called back, as close to happy as she had been since she got the news that her aunt had passed. Harry and her aunt Claire had been particularly close when she had lived in London.

Aunt Claire had been Harry's best friend through some of the hardest times. Aunt Claire moved to Exeter two years before Harry graduated high school, and when Harry was picking her university, her aunt had invited Harry to live with her. The four years Harry spent at the University of Exeter were some of the best of her life, she had said, and it was all thanks to Aunt Claire.

Now though, here they were, sitting in her flat in Singapore and she was no longer there. Harry sat down beside John, quietly staring at the cup of tea in her hand. Gently, she set it down on the table, and before John even realized what was happening, Harry was sobbing.

"Shhh, it's ok." John soothed, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. Harry, drew a sharp breath as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"I just can't believe she's gone." Harry said through her tears.

"I know. I know."John said quietly and continued to comfort her, sitting beside her and holding her as she cried her heart out.

After Harry finally stopped crying, John asked,  
"Would you like something to eat?" Harry nodded as she wiped away her tears.

John hugged her before getting up and walking into the kitchen. It was neat and tidy, unlike his kitchen at home.  _Sherlock_. He thought as he reached into the cupboard and pour Harry and himself some cold cereal. John brought the bowl of cereal back to the sofa where Harry sat, still sniffling. With a mumbled "thank you", she took the bowl from John and tucked into her food.

Later, as John was doing the dishes, Harry began sorting through their dead aunts library. There weren't many books on the rather small bookshelf, but the collection was personal.

John walked in as Harry flipped through the pages of a photo album. As he sat down beside his sister, he noticed the pictures it was open too - several of them containing Harry, and a few even with John, as children. They were laughing, smiling and happy. Harry turned the page to reveal a photo of her aunt, dropping her off on her first day of college. John put a comforting hand on his sister and he heard her sniffle.

"I miss her." She whispered, fighting back tears.

"I know." John said, gently taking the photo album from his sister, closing it and putting it in a box. They were to pack up anything they wanted to keep, and the rest would be auctioned off. John had put the photo album in on of the "keep" boxes.

They finished off the bookshelf before lunch, which Harry attempted to make while John continued sorting. Unfortunately, lunch was over before it began, as they had to put out a small stovetop fire and try to convince the neighbours that the building wasn't going to burn down. Eventually, John just grabbed his wallet and took Harry out for lunch.

They found a nice little French cafe, where the found a warm, comforting meal.

"John." Harry started, getting her brothers attention.

"Yeah?" John acknowledged his sister, looking her in the eye and waiting for her to say her peace.

"Thank you." She said, breaking into a small smile. John returned it.

"What are big brothers for?" He joked, getting Harry to laugh a little before settling back into their meal. John and Harry had never gotten along properly, they always had spits and spats.

But today, with Harry's drinking problem at bay and John devoted to comforting her, things were going ok. John thought back to the start of their problems. Like all siblings, they fought, and they fought often. But that had changed into a mutual dislike one fateful night.

John had been studying late into the night for some of his finals, while Harry had been out at a partying with her friends. She came home so drunk she could hardly stand. John had noticed this happening more and more frequently, but never had he seen her this bad. He tried to talk some sense into her that night, but they ended up in a shouting match.

The next day, even with her sober, things were still tense. She told John she didn't need him, that this was her life and she could do what she wanted. John had watched helplessly as his baby sister drank her way into a hole with no escape. Eventually, John just gave up hope and ignored his sister as best he could, which was helped by his deployment to Afghanistan. But no matter how hard he tried, he always felt guilty that he had let Harry ruin herself.

"John? John? Hello?" Harry's voice brought John out of his trance.

"What?" He asked, slightly startled. Harry just giggled.

"I said, did you want dessert?" Harry said, gesturing towards the long list of delicious looking French pastries.

"Yes please." John said, licking his lips. Harry chuckled again and ordered them each something.

As they walked back to their aunts flat, John took a chance to appreciate the city around them. It was new and exciting to be somewhere other then the old streets of London. The architecture here was completely different. It had an almost futuristic look to it.

Back at the flat, John and Harry worked systematically through the house sorting things in to "keep" and "auction" boxes. A few times, John would chuck some nicknack into the "auction" box only to have Harry throw a fit because "how could you get rid of that?! So-and-so gave that to her!" and gently place it in the "keep" box.

Night fell and John was tuckered out from his sisters nagging and dealing with her emotional ups and downs. They had successfully sorted through half of the house, with just the kitchen, bedroom and bathroom to go. The bedroom was the one John dreaded the most.

Where do people usually keep the items most precious to them? That's right, the bedroom. John dreaded going in their with Harry, scared she would do nothing but cry the whole time. However, John had noticed his aunt had downsized quite a bit in the rest of her house, maybe she had done the same there as well.

John made sure Harry was comfortably in bed before turning in himself. He shuffled around in the covers, trying to get comfortable.  _Only a few more days before I can go home_. He thought as he drifted off into dreamland.

 


	3. Jam and Coffee

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Alcohol Use

**Chapter III**

The next day passed by much the same as the one before. The two Watson's woke up, ate breakfast, sorted through things and went out for lunch.

That afternoon, the two got dressed up a bit; John in a black suit with a blue tie and Harry in a lovely black dress. They then got in a cab and went to the reading of their aunts will. John put on a strong face and held Harry's hand as she cried when her name was read off.

"To my dearest Harriet, I leave everything else. All my money, possessions and love. You were like a daughter to me, and although I never helped much with your rearing, you were the best niece I could have wished for." The attorney read in a rather sympathetic tone.

John stayed with Harry as she signed some documents from the government to legalize her place in taking the remnants if her aunts finances. John numbly helped her back to the flat before turning to her and saying,  
"I'm just going to pop out for some shopping. Think you can manage twenty minutes on your own?" Harry nodded as she silently wept.

John would have stayed to comfort her, but the shop closed soon and they badly needed some milk. With a gentle kiss to her forehead, he grabbed his wallet and dashed out the door.

Not a block away, he found the store he was looking for. John quickly went up and down the aisle, selecting the groceries they needed for the next few days. As John backed away from a stand of jams, he quite by accident back into someone.

"Sorry!" John called out as he spun around, hearing the sound of groceries crashing to the ground. John immediately bent down and quickly collected them.

"Here you go. I'm so sorry." He said, standing up and handing the groceries over to a beautiful lady who stood there in a bit of shock.

"No harm done." She said with a smile, accepting the items from John and tucking them into her basket. John responded with a smile.

She was rather tall, with long, wavy brown hair and a slim figure. Her large grey-green eyes were smiling at John, as was her full set of pale pink lips.

"I'm Skye, by the way." The beautiful woman said, sticking out her hand. John was brought back to reality, again.

"John. Nice to meet you." John said, shaking her hand. Skye's smile widened.

"Nice to meet you too." She said, and then with a brief smile she turned to walk away. John mentally cursed his luck - he would have loved to go out for coffee with this girl.

"Hey." Skye said, turning back to John. "I know this is kinda weird but, would you like to have coffee?" John thanked Lady Luck for this one and smiled widely.

"I would love too. Where and when?" He asked happily.

"At the place next door in say, oh, an hour? I have to run the shopping home first." She said, gesturing to her basket. John smiled.

"Sounds like a plan. Uh, should we exchange numbers?" He asked and was met with a giggle from Skye.

"Sure." She said, diving into her bag for a piece of paper and a pen. After they exchanged mobile numbers, they headed their separate ways.

"See you at 4!" Skye called as she walked away.

"You bet!" John called after her, a goofy grin on his face. He quickly finished the shopping and returned to the flat. He quickly put the groceries in the kitchen and the ran off to the bathroom to freshen up. Harry walked in and noticed her brother primping.

"And where do you think you're going?" She asked, trying to sound like she was in charged.

"I've got a date." John replied, fixing his short, dirty blonde hair.

"With an actual girl?" Harry jeered, trying to get a rise out of her brother.

"You bet. They didn't call me Three-Continents Watson for nothing." He joked back with a gruff laugh. His sister looked disgusted.

"Whatever. Just be home by ten." Harry said, in that tone only little sisters can pull off.

"Will do, mother." John said with another laugh. "I bought some pre-made dinners for you. Help yourself."

"Oh boy. Frozen food." Harry said sarcastically. John just laughed as he left the flat. He quickly made his way to the café Skye had suggested. Inside he found her waiting for him. John joined her at the table and shared a smile with her.

"Hungry?" He asked.

"I'm good for now." Skye said with a smile, gesturing towards her cup. It was filled with coffee and a whipped topping. John smiled and ordered himself a tea before settling into a conversation with Skye.

"So, do you live here?" John asked over his tea. Skye giggled.

"No. Just here for a work thing. You?" She replied.

"Nope. Just here to take care of some family business." He said, smiling.

"Where are you from?" Skye asked before sipping her drink.

"London." John replied. Skye's eyes widened with delight.

"Really? I'm from London too! What a coincidence." She said happily. John chuckled.

"That it is. Where do you work in London?" He asked.

"I'm a banker. I over see transactions and stocks in the whole of Asia." She said.

"Wow. Big job." John marvelled. This woman was becoming more and more interesting.

"Yeah, it's ok. You?" Skye asked.

"I'm a part time doctor. But most of the time I work with my flatmate and the police." John said, the winced as he realized how awkward that probably sounded.

"Oh, you work with Sherlock Holmes?" She asked. John just nodded. "He solved a case for my boss. I think maybe you helped." She smiled and John returned it.

"Maybe." He said, and they settled back into their conversation.

Later, after he said goodbye to Skye and arranged to meet her again, John ventured back to the flat. It was just after six, but it was already getting dark.

As he pushed open the door, he was repulsed by the sight that met his eyes - Harry lay passed out drunk on the floor, a bottle still clutched feebly in one hand.

John sighed and shook his head, disappointed in his sister. She had been clean for a whole month, but he guessed some things would never change. He carried her to bed and then sank happily down on the sofa.

 


	4. Date Night

**Chapter IV**

John awoke to the sound of his sister hurling in the bathroom down the short hallway. John cringed. He knew just what she was feeling right now. He himself had a few nights over the years where he had one to many to drink, and ended up curled around the porcelain bowl.

John heaved himself off of the sofa, got a glass of water and two aspirin from the kitchen and went to comfort Harry. She lay on the floor, weakly grasping the edge of the toilet as she vomited again. John waited for her to finish her bout before kneeling next to his sister and handing her the water and pills. She gave a feeble nod before popping the pills in her mouth and chasing them with a mouth full of cool water. John stroked her hair out of her face.

"Thanks." Harry whispered from where she lay on the bathroom floor. John just nodded and left. Twenty minutes later, Harry walked out of the bathroom looking better and a little straightened up. She planted herself on the sofa beside John while he idly watched the news, which was in Mandarin Chinese and he didn't understand it.

"How was your date?" Harry tried cheerfully, trying to move past the events of the morning.

"Why? Why did you do it?" John asked, turning off the telly and looking Harry in the eye.

"Because, John, I needed to. It isn't like you don't have your way of dealing with things." Harry retorted, though John could see the pain and disappointment she felt towards herself. Harry was really trying to stay clean, but every now and then she hit a ruff patch.

"Look I understand why you did it. This has been really hard on you. But why did you have to get so drunk? You were passed out on the floor at six o'clock yesterday!" John said, trying to get through to his sister. Harry burst out crying. She looked like she was fourteen again, on one of the times John sat with her as she cried over a boy or something.

"I just wanted to make the pain stop." She sobbed into Johns shoulder as he wrapped his muscular arms around her and gently rocked her back and forth.

"It's ok. It's ok." John whispered comfortingly in her ear. After a little while, Harry's tears subsided and she pulled away from her brother.

"Seriously though, how was your date?" She said, a weak laugh coming out. John chuckled along.

"It went well. I hope to see her again." John said with a fond smile. They got to work, John doing most of the moving and Harry sitting or laying nearby as she recovered from her hangover.

Harry fell asleep in the afternoon after much coaxing from John, and once she was out John searched the whole flat top to bottom, looking for any kind of alcohol. This couldn't happen again. Once he was satisfied that there was nothing left in the whole flat that Harry could get drunk on, he sat down and texted Skye.

"Hey. Bored. Want to do dinner? -JW" John was fairly certain that their first date had gone well and really wanted to see her again. And because Harry would probably spend the rest of the evening sleeping off her hangover, John felt certain he could go out.

"Hi. Yeah, sure. Got any ideas? - SM"  
John smiled down at the quick reply. He noticed her initials before replying.

"Great. Nope, none at all. You? -JW"

"There's a sushi place a block away from my hotel. Want to go there? -SM"

"Sure. Send me the directions and I'll see you at 5. -JW"

Skye sent over the address of the restaurant and John tucked his mobile back into his pocket. He heaved a heavy sigh as he hauled himself off the sofa and went to check on his baby sister. Poking his head into the bedroom, he saw the lump under the blankets that was his sister. She looked so peaceful. Quietly, John made his way over to the bedside and gently shook his sister awake.

"Hmmm?" Harry moaned, eyes screwed shut as she tried desperately to stay asleep.

"I'm going out for dinner. I'll be back for nine. Dinner will be in the fridge." John said quietly, bending down next to Harry.

"Mmm, ok. Have fun." She mumbled before rolling over and going back to sleep. John smiled at how much this reminded him of his childhood. John snuck out of the bedroom, silently closing the door behind him, and made his way to the bathroom to get ready.

**OOOOOOOOO**

John walked in to the rather nice looking sushi place. He immediately found Skye amongst the crowded tables and smiled at her as he walked over.

"Nice pick." He said, pulling out his chair and sitting opposite her.

"Mmm, I thought it was rather good." She said seriously before letting out a little laugh. John joined her, the two of them sat their giggling. A young waitress came over to them.

"Can I get you anything to drink?" She asked in a Chinese accent as she handed over two menus.

"I'll have a cola, please." Skye said with a smile. The waitress nodded and turned to John.

"Just water for me." John said politely.

"Alright, I will be back with your drinks." The waitress said cheerily before taking her leave. John turned back to Skye and smiled broadly.

"I noticed your initials in the texts. What does the "M" stand for?" John ask coolly. Skye smiled.

"It stands for "Married"." She said sarcastically before bursting out into laughter. John quickly joined her.

"No, seriously though, it stands for MacKenzie." She said once she had recovered from her giggles.

"Really? Sounds oddly... Scottish." John commented.

"Of course it does. That's because I'm part Scottish. Well, part Scottish, part German, part Ukraine and part English, but lets not get into my family tree right now." She replied humorously. She seemed to enjoy being cheery and John liked that. The waitress dashed in and handed them their drinks before quickly taking their orders and dashing off again.

"So, what about you? What are some of your stories?" Skye asked, playing with her straw.

"Oh, I've got lots." John said with a chuckle before telling Skye about his family.

 


	5. Planning

**Chapter V**

The rest of dinner was magnificent. John and Skye really got along. And the longer John spent with Skye, the more he never wanted to leave her. She made him forget about the past and just enjoy the present. She completed him, her charming wit and flirtatious smile reeling him in.

"So, tell me, Doctor Watson, what is your prognosis of this evening?" Skye said in her playful tone. John smiled widely at her.

"I think," he said, leaning in closer to her with an enticing grin, "that this evening requires mouth to mouth." Skye joined in on leaning closer over the table.

"Mmmm." She hummed in agreement just before their lips touched.

A small jolt ran through John, he wanted more then this. But not here. They couldn't do more then a chaste kiss on the lips. Skye pulled away first and looked up at John through her dark eyelashes.

"Should we maybe take this outside?" Skye asked seductively. John simply smiled in reply and got their waitress to bring them the bill.

**OOOOOOOO**

John stumbled into the flat at about nine thirty. Clumsily, he turned on the living room light. He found his sister sitting on the sofa, playing on her laptop.

"Looks like you're date went well." She said with a 'you should see how you look' expression. John just smiled. He was too happy to care.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, it did." He replied, shrugging off his coat.

"Looks like you had a regular make-out fest." Harry teased, a smirk painted firmly on her lips. John just laughed at her.

"Hey, I like her, she likes me. Lets just leave the interrogation part out of this." He said, grabbing his pyjamas and heading for the bathroom.

John looked in the mirror - his hair was well ruffled and his shirt was slightly askew. He smiled happily at his reflection. Tonight had been a good night. John quickly got ready for bed. Coming back into the living room, he saw his sister hadn't moved from her spot on the sofa.

"When do I get to meet her?" Harry asked, putting her laptop down. John took her dishes away as he answered.

"When I think you deserve to." He said over his shoulder. He dropped the dishes in the sink before returning to the living room. Harry had her arms crossed over her chest and a pout on her face. John almost laughed at how ridiculous she looked.

"That's not fair, Johnny. You should let me meet her." Harry pouted. John did laugh at that.

"Fine, you can meet her. But not tonight. Go to bed, you need some sleep." John said smiling, as he pushed his sister off of the sofa. She got up without much resistance, but she giggled as he poked and prodded her away.

"Fine! I'm going!" Harry giggled out before calming down. "Night John."

"Night, Harry." John said. Harry switched off the light and left the room.  
Johns head hit the pillow with a smile fixed firmly on his face. What may have started out as a rather horrible day had ended on such a high note that John felt like he was floating.

He tucked himself in, settling down to sleep. Just as he closed his eyes, he heard his mobile buzz on the coffee table beside him. He opened his eyes and grabbed it, smiling down at the text he had just received.

"Thanks for tonight. I had fun. -SM"

"No, thank you. -JW" John sent the text before thinking of something else to say. "I really like you, Skye. I wish we could go out again. Soon. -JW" He got a reply to his last text so quickly it boggled his mind.

"I really like you too, John. I'm free all day tomorrow, if there's anything you want to do. -SM" John smiled.

"Well, my sister really wants to meet you. Do you know of anything the three of us could do? -JW"

"How about lunch and then we could go to the Changi museum? -SM"

"Sounds wonderful. You can be our guide. -JW"

"Alright. You never told me why you were in Singapore in the first place? -SM"  
"Well, my aunt moved here, but she died. Her and my sister were really close, and my sister needed me to come with her, for support. -JW"

"Oh John, I'm so sorry to hear that. Would it be wrong to say, though, that I'm happy you came, because I wouldn't have met you otherwise? -SM"

"It's ok. No, it's not. I'm happy to have met you. -JW"

"Good. Well, I should go. See you tomorrow? -SM"

"Alright, good night Skye. Yes, see you tomorrow. -JW"

John lay down his phone, a content smile on his face. He had only just met Skye, but there was something special between them. An instant spark. John really wanted to see her again. Her flowing dark chocolate hair and dazzling green eyes. John feel asleep, the mental image of Skye dancing through his mind.

**OOOOOOOO**

John awoke to the smell and sound of someone cooking in the kitchen. A smile played at his lips when his mind supplied an imagined scene where Skye was cooking breakfast for him. John heaved himself up off the sofa and wandered into the kitchen.

"Morning, sleepy head." Harry said with a giggle as he poured himself a glass of orange juice. She was standing at the stove cooking bacon and eggs.

"Morning. Feeling better?" John asked before sipping his juice as he leaned against the counter.

"Much. So, what are we doing today?" Harry asked, dishing up the food. John smiled.

"Well, you get you're wish." He replied with a chuckle. Harry cocked her head at him.

"Last night you said you wanted to meet the girl I went out with. You get your wish. We're having lunch with her today." John said happily, taking his food from Harry.

"Alright, sounds like fun!" Harry enthusiastically replied.

 


	6. Lunch and a Museum

**Chapter VI**

After breakfast, John made their lunch plans with Skye more firm, deciding where and when they should meet. Skye gave him directions to the restaurant. John and Harry spent the morning talking with a funeral director about what needed to be done for their aunt.

A long two hours later, the arrangements were made for her remains to be cremated and buried in a local cemetery. John and Harry walked out of the mans office with their heads hung low.  _Well, that was depressing_. John thought as he heard the tinkling of the bells on the door closing behind him. As they walked along, Harry wound her arm through Johns.

"So, what's her name?" She asked, pulling John out of his deep thoughts.

"Hmmm?" John asked, not sure what his sister had said. Harry giggled.

"What's her name? Your new girlfriend? I should at least know her name before we meet her." Harry giggled out. John joined her, chuckling along for a minute before answering.

"Yes, of course. Her name is Skye. And just for the record she is not my girlfriend...yet" John said, a twinkle in his eye. He hoped that Skye would be his girlfriend one day.

"Skye. That's a pretty name. Where does she live?" Harry asked as they walked along.

"London. She's here on a business trip." John replied, thinking back to his first conversation with her just a couple days before. He couldn't believe it had been less then two days that he had known her; it felt like they had been together forever.

"Interesting." Harry said absentminded. Her gaze was focused on a girl walking across the street up ahead. She looked just like... but it couldn't be. It wasn't. There was no way. Harry was jolted out of her thoughts by a quick whack on the arm from John, who had caught her red handed.

"Harry, what are you staring at?" John asked, trying to follow his sisters gaze. Harry quickly looked away.

"Nothing. It was nothing. I just thought I saw someone." She said. Before John had a chance to ask who, Harry stepped away from him and hailed a cab. A minute later, the two of them were in the backseat of a cab headed towards their lunch with Skye.

**OOOOOOOO**

They arrived at the restaurant, a rather small, homey looking place. John held the door open for his sister, who then awkwardly had to wait for him to catch up. She couldn't quite shake the thought of having seen her... No, it wasn't her, definitely not. John scanned the room looking for Skye. He spotted her in a booth on the far wall, waving excitedly at them. John waved back and lead his sister over to meet Skye.

"Harry, this is Skye. Skye this is my sister, Harry." John introduced the two ladies before sitting down.

"How nice to meet you." Skye said, shaking Harry's hand. Harry smiled at Skye.

"Nice to meet you too, sweetie." She replied before taking her seat next to John.

"Harry... That would be short for Harriet, I presume?" Skye asked, sitting down as well.

"You would presume correctly. But please, just call me Harry." Harry replied, grinning.

They fell into a relax conversation of 'where you from?', 'what do you do?' and 'what are you doing here?' as they ate their food. Mostly John silently observed the two women, occasionally making remarks.

Harry and Skye got along really well. They had a similar sense of humour, similar tastes in music and then there was all the mocking they could do together about John. All in all, he chalked it up to be a successful lunch.  
When they had quite finished, John made his way to pay.

"No, no. I've got it. Well, more precisely, my company's got it." Skye said with a smile before pushing past John and paying for lunch.

"I like her." Harry whispered to her brother.

"I told you, no flirting with my girlfriends." John whispered back.

"I wasn't. I was simply commenting on the fact that I think she would be good for you." Harry whispered. Before John could reply with a snarky remark, Skye rejoined them.

"Alright, now that that's taken care of, are we ready to go to the museum?" She asked.

"I am!" Harry said happily. John nodded, a smile painted on his face.

"Then lets go!" Skye said, leading the way out of the restaurant. The two Watson siblings followed closely behind.

As they walked in the direction of the museum, the three enjoyed each others conversation. Skye and Harry would occasionally coo over a cute pair of shoes or a handbag they had just passed in a shop window, and John would make a humorous comment on how girly the two were. The three of them would laugh and return to their previous conversation.

Within fifteen minutes, the trio had arrived at their destination - Changi museum. Skye lead the way inside, all the while talking, except now she had switched into tour guide mode.

"Changi museum contains the history of Singapore during World War II. There is a chapel beside it, also dedicated in remembrance of the war. Changi prison, which is just down the road, was home to thousands of prisoners of war, many of whom were woman and children." Skye explained.

The three made their way through the museum, stopping to look intently at the artifacts, effects, drawings, paintings and photographs from a time before ether were born. It was a humbling experience, to gaze upon the remnants of the lives that had been lead in such a way in such a horrible time in history. Johns mind often made connections between what he was seeing in the museum and what he had seen on the battlefield in Afghanistan.

Of anyone there, John knew about the horrors of war. He managed to keep his cool before they finished the museum. Skye insisted they go to look at the chapel, claiming,"It will be a good cultural experience."

They went, but honestly, John was not impressed. True, it was a beautiful building and it had a rather interesting look to it, but he didn't feel like it was as big a deal as Skye made it out to be. But he went, for her. On the walk back, Skye and Harry were eagerly chatting.

"You know, if you guys would like go see more of the city, I'd love to take you." Skye offered. Before John had a chance to answer, Harry piped up.

"I'd love that! Wouldn't it be fun, John?" She asked, turning towards her brother.

"It would." John replied before turning to Skye. "If you don't mind."

"No, I don't. It would be my pleasure." She said, a wide grin on her face.

"I'll text you about it later then." John said before leaning in and kissing her cheek.

 


	7. Hero We Go Again

**Chapter VII**

John and Harry had spent the evening packing up the last remaining things of their aunts. They had takeaway Chinese for dinner and John had even managed to convince Harry to leave behind some of the stuff she had originally wanted to take back to London with her.

"How will we get it home?" He reasoned. The evening was spent in quiet, comfortable and friendly. They finally turned in, Harry to her room and John to the sofa. John picked up his mobile and texted Skye.

"Had a wonderful day. Hope we can do it again soon. -JW" She replied almost instantly.

"Me too. Your sister is fun. And I'm sure we will. -SM"

"Good. Will we see you tomorrow? -JW"

"Sorry John, I can't. Business meeting. I'll text you when I'm out though. -SM"

"Alright. Goodnight Skye. -JW"

"Night John -SM"

**OOOOOOOO**

The next day passed by rather uneventfully. Packing, cleaning, organizing was what preoccupied them most of the day. When that ran out, they popped in a disc and watched a film. John got a call halfway through their film from the funeral director, confirming the date of his aunts funeral.

John tried to get them to do it sooner, but it was decided. The funeral would happen in three days. John settled back down on the sofa beside Harry to finish the film. Not ten minutes later did his phone go off again. Angrily, he pulled his mobile out of his pocket. His expression immediately softened. It was a text from Skye.

"Hey John. Finally out of that meeting. Want to grab dinner? -SM"

"Sure. Can Harry tag along? -JW"

"Of course! See you at the sushi place at 6? -SM"

"See you there. -JW" John pocketed his phone, looking over at his sister.

"Hey, you want to go grab sushi with Skye tonight?" He asked nonchalantly. Harry giggled, looking over at her brother.

"Sure, Johnny. As long as there's no kissing this time." Harry teased.

"Hey, that's not fair! She's my girlfriend, I can kiss her whenever I want." John defended. Harry giggled again, but held her ground.

"No, you can not. Besides, do you really need to kiss in front of your little sister?" She asked, looking up at him with puppy eyes. John shoved her playfully.

"Oh no, not the eyes. You always get me with the eyes and I am not giving this one up. I get to kiss my girlfriend and that's it. End of story." He said decidedly. Harry whined, but after making a few comments about how gross it was, she consented.

"You know, I really ought to find someone." Harry said, mostly to herself. John sighed. He really didn't want to have a discussion about Clara right now.

"You should. It'd be good for you." John replied with a smile at his sister.

"Don't know who though. And I can't go to a bar to meet anyone anymore." She said with a sigh. John rolled his eyes at her.  _Why did she have to make it so hard?_

"You'll find someone. I know you will." John said in his 'reassuring big brother' tone as he got up to get a glass of water. Harry followed him into he he kitchen.

"You know, I miss her." She said in a low voice.

John look absolutely shocked. He knew his sister cared about Clara, but she had been the one to leave her. Clara had made it clear that it was the booze or her, and in the end, Harry's drinking won out. Of course, it didn't help that Clara tried to get back at Harry by cheating on her. John shook his head. To be honest, their relationship was far to confusing for him.

"I see her, sometimes. People who look like her, I mean. Like yesterday. I saw someone that reminded me so much of her." Harry said sadly, her eyes not focusing as she drifted from reality.

John shook his head. This was not the right time or place, or even country, to be having this conversation. So, he did what any man would do to avoid a topic - John changed the subject.

"Is there anything in Singapore you want to see while we're here? That way we can make sure to do it." He said cheerfully. But as he looked back at his sad sister, he couldn't help feel a twinge of guilt. John carefully walked over to his sister and laid a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, you'll find someone. You just have to keep looking." He said with a sympathetic smile.

"Thanks Johnny." Harry responded, smiling back.

**OOOOOOO**

Two hours later, Harry, John and Skye were sitting around a table, laughing and smiling as they ate sushi.

"So, Harry, are you older or younger then John?" She asked, picking up a piece of sushi.

"Younger." She answered.

"We're four years and three months apart." John supplied. Skye looked surprised but didn't comment.

"Do you have any siblings Skye?" Harry asked.

"Yup. An older brother and two younger sisters. We're a big family." She responded.

"Wow." Harry said. John just laughed at his sisters awe.

"Yeah, it was a pain to go anywhere." Skye added with a giggle. The whole table broke out into a relaxed round of laughter. A moment of comfortable silence passed.

"So, what sorts of things do you want to see before you go?" Skye asked.

"Well, I for one would like to go to the Jurong Bird Park." John said. Skye's eyes lit up.

"Oh, yes! We'll have to make a day of that. It's amazing!" She raved.

"I think the Botanical Gardens would be nice. I'd love to see the orchids." Harry said dreamily. Skye nodded.

"Yes, they're very lovely this time of year." She answered. They're conversation when a strange woman approached the table.

"Harry?" She asked tentatively.

"Clara?!" Harry responded, her mouth agape.  _Here we go again_. John thought bitterly.

 


	8. Well, This is Awkward

**Chapter VIII**

"What on Earth are you doing here?!" Harry nearly shrieked. This is not going to end well. John thought, watching his sister. Clara seemed to shift from one foot to the other.

"Well, to be honest, I'm on holiday. A very, very long holiday." She answered. Harry narrowed her eyes at her ex lover.

"How long?" She asked. Clara shifted again.

"This is my sixth week here." Clara answered weakly. Harry just glared at her, filled with rage and hurt and loss. There was a long, tense pause.

"So... Ah... How've you been?" Clara asked awkwardly. Harry crossed her arms.

"Fine." She answered. There was another long, tense, and slightly awkward moment.

"Alright, well, I guess I better go." Clara said making her excuses. Harry didn't even look at her.

"Yeah. Bye." The Watson girl said curtly, turning back to her dinner.

"It was nice to see you again, Harry." Clara tried one last time to get her ex girlfriend to talk to her. When Harry just huffed in response, Clara turned to look at John. They made brief eye contact and Clara just nodded and left.

Then an awkward silence filled the once cheerful space between the friends. Harry stabbed her sushi with her chopsticks while Skye and John exchanged worried glances.

"So... Where else should we go?" Skye asked, trying to lighten the mood.

"I think maybe we should discuss it and get back to you." John supplied, after a long silence. Skye nodded.

The rest of dinner last by rather awkwardly, Harry silently fuming and Skye and John trying to make small talk. It ended with the three if them standing in the curb outside the restaurant. John started making like he was hailing a taxi until Harry stopped him. He looked at his sister with a curious expression.

"I'd rather walk." She said flatly.

"Well, that's to bad because I'd rather ride in a cab. And seeing as I'm paying..." John said, until he was interrupted by Harry.

"Walk your girlfriend home first, then catch a cab. I'll start walking. It's not that far, it should only take me an hour at most." Harry justified. John looked at her warily but eventually he conceded.

"Alright. But if you're not home before nine, I'm sending out a city wide search party." He joked. But even with the small chuckle, John knew he would do that for his sister.

"Fine." Harry replied. She waved goodnight to Skye and started off. John walk Skye back to her hotel.

"So... Who was that? At dinner tonight?" Skye asked cautiously. John sighed heavily.

"That... was my sisters ex wife." John said. Skye just nodded slowly.

"Why did they split? If you don't mind me asking." She asked.

"Well, I don't really know all the details but, my sister... She always had a problem with the bottle. Eventually, it tore her marriage apart." John said flatly, eyes fixed firmly ahead. He really didn't need to be dealing with this right now, on top of everything else.

"I'm sorry." A small voice whispered from beside him. He turned and smiled at Skye.

"For what? It's not your fault." He replied. A moment of silence passed.

"How long have they been divorced?" Skye asked.

"Oh, um, let's see... Almost six years now." John replied. Skye's eyes widen.

"Wow. And your sister still hates her?" She asked. John had to chuckle at that.

"Well, first off, us Watson's are particularly stubborn. Second, Harry doesn't hate her. Not really. But it's easier for her to be mad then for her to come to terms with her other emotions." John explained, or at least attempted to. Skye nodded.

"I can't believe it." Skye said under her breath a minute later.

"What?" John asked, curious.

"That Harry was married." Skye said, still in utter disbelief. John chuckled.

"Well, it was quite a while ago." He said.

"Yeah. But still..." Skye trailed off. A minute later, they were at the doors of her hotel.

"Well, thank you for walking me home, John." She said with a smile on her pale lips.

"I'm sorry tonight didn't go over better." John apologized.

"No, it's alright. I understand." Skye said. John smiled at her. She leaned up and planted a soft kiss on Johns lips. It lingered for only a moment, but it was just enough.

"Text me when you get back, yeah? So I know you're both safe." She said, smiling.

"Yeah. Ok." John replied slightly dazed. Skye giggled, her chocolate curls bouncing, before she disappeared inside the hotel lobby. John took a moment to regain his composure, feeling like a stupid teenager again, before he hailed a cab and headed home.

John opened the door to the flat, expecting to be met with a sobbing Harry. Much to his surprise, and annoyance, Harry wasn't even in the flat. John search it, top to bottom, to make sure that she just wasn't hiding on him. But Harry wasn't there. John was furious by now, where on Earth could she be? Suddenly, flashbacks to Harry drinking herself blind to drown her emotional turmoil on numerous occasions sent John reeling.

Of course! Harry had said she'd walk home, which meant she would most likely pass at least one bar on her way, even if she didn't get lost. Which meant John had to go find her. Now. He walked out of the flat, texting as he went. First he sent a text to Harry, asking where on she was. But John doubted she'd respond. The second he sent to Skye.

"I know it's none if your concern, but Harry's gone missing. I'm thinking she went to a bar. Where are the closest bars? -JW" He received a reply to that one almost instantly.

"Oh my god! Umm... Closest one to the sushi place in the direction she was heading is called Post Bar. -SM" John smiled at his phone as he climbed in a cab.

"Thanks. -JW"

"The Post Bar, please." John said to the waiting cabbie.

"Looking for a good time, are you?" The cabbie asked with a chuckle as he pulled away from the curb. John settled into the back.

"No. I have to go rescue my sister." He muttered bitterly. Five minutes later, the cab pulled up outside.

"Wait here, please." John asked as he hurried out.

"No problem." He said as he relaxed in his chair. John rushed in to the waiting bar. He quickly scanned the room and when he finally spotted Harry, he was mortified.

 


	9. Scream and Shout

**Chapter IX**

"Harriet!" John whispered furiously to himself. John watched as his sister downed what was obviously not her first drink, swaying slightly as she sat across from a pretty little blonde who honestly looked far to young to be in a bar.

Harry was smiling flirtatiously at her as she tried her best to stay upright. The blonde and Harry were laughing and looked like they were having a good time, except that Harry looked positively smashed. John firmly set his shoulders and marched over to his extremely intoxicated sister. How had she managed to get so drunk so quickly? John walked up to the table and glared down on his sister.

"Johnny! Glad you could make it!" She said smiling up at her brother. John had a moment of hesitation. His sister looked so happy right now. After a week of her bawling, could he really rip her from this right now? Then he noticed her swaying. Yes, he could, for her own safely and well-being.

John reached over and pulled his sister up, supporting her to keep her from falling over. He dragged her out the door, Harry yelling protests in his ear. But once this particular army doctor set his mind to something, there was no changing it.

John put the poorly coordinated girl in the cab and climbed in after her, directing the cabbie to take them home. Fifteen minutes, and several attempts at walking, later, the two siblings stumbled into the flat.

John steered Harry to the bathroom, where he placed her not-so-gently in the bathtub and turning on the cold water. Harry shrieked for a moment until she seemed to understand that it was just water, then she started loudly cursing the cold water flowing over her still clothed body.

After a few minutes, John hauled her out of the tub, towelled her off and put her on the sofa. By now, Harry was starting to regain her sobriety. John got her a large glass of water and forced it into her hands, sitting down beside her. He pulled out his phone and texted Skye while Harry drank.

"Found her. Safe but drunk. Thanks for the help. -JW." The response came but a moment later.

"Thank god! Glad to here. Good night John. -SM" John out his phone back in his pocket as Harry finished the last of the water.

"I'm sorry." She said shakily. John burst.

"Sorry?! Harriet June Watson, you had better be more than sorry! You scared the hell out of me, you got piss drunk and you nearly went home with a stranger! You could barely stand!" John yelled, standing in front of his little sister.

"I'm an adult, John! I can look after myself!" Harry yelled back from her spot on the sofa, still not trusting herself to stand.

"Clearly not." John retorted.

"You've never had to deal with what I do!" Harry shouted. John rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, please. I've had numerous exes. It hard for me too, you know, when I run in to them. Hell! I have to work for Sarah!" Johns voice escalated.

"But you've never been married to any of them!" Harry yelled back. John noticed the tears starting to form in her eyes, but now was not the time for pity. She needed to learn never to do this again. He'd had enough of his sisters antics.

"That doesn't matter! What matters is you promised me you wouldn't drink anymore and you did! You deliberately went out and got gloriously smashed! And, what's worse, you lied about it to me!" John screamed.

"I said I was sorry John." Harry mumbled her retort.

"But you aren't! You aren't sorry, are you!" John yelled. Harry looked at him with watery eyes.

"Yes. Yes I am. And if you don't believe me John, that's your fault." She choked out, before getting up and running to the bedroom, tears brimming in her eyes. John chased after her, all his anger suddenly disappearing. Harry slammed the bedroom door in his face. He heard her start to sob on the other side of the locked door.

"Harry. Harry. I'm sorry." John apologized. He wanted nothing more than to comfort his sister.

"Go away." Harry mumbled through the door.

"Harriet..." John started, but was cut off.

"I said 'Go Away'!" Harry screamed back.

John sighed in defeat and retreated to the sofa, knowing full well he wouldn't be able to change his sisters mind tonight. The night had not gone as expected. In fact, the worse things possible had happened. John mentally cursed coming on this trip as he settled down to for a restless night of sleep.

**OOOOOOOO**

The next morning, John woke up early and made Harry an apology breakfast. He felt bad for yelling at her last night, but he couldn't stand it anymore. When would she learn not to get so hammered? Did she realize she was slowly killing herself? Did she understand that John was just trying to protect her? Twenty years.

Twenty years, Harry had had an alcohol problem. Twenty years, she had spent drunk on strangers floors. Twenty years, she was vomiting into a toilet the next morning. When would she learn?

John sighed as he realized his baby sister would probably never fully conquer her addiction. It was her release, her way of acting out. John silently praised the gods that she hadn't taken up drugs. But still, drinking that much alcohol that often, it was doing its damage.

John knew all to well the damage it was doing to her, but he didn't know how to stop her. John placed the toast and jam back on the plate, grabbed a glass of water, and headed for Harry's room. He knocked gently, before opening it slightly.

"Harr-bear, I brought you some breakfast." He said in a quiet voice as he stepped into the room. Harry was curled on her side in bed, a tissue clutched in her hand.

Her eyes looked vacant, as if they were looking through the wall across from her. Her eyes were dry, but they obviously had been crying. John sat down beside her, placing the tray of food on the bedside table.

"I'm sorry, Harry." John whispered, stooping down to place a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"It still hurts. After all this time, it still hurts." She whimpered.

"I know. It's ok." John whispered back reassuringly, stroking her hair. "I'm here for you."

"I know. Thanks Johnny." She whispered back, closing her eyes. Soon, she was asleep.


	10. Check Up

**Chapter X**

Harry woke up about an hour later, and John remade her breakfast. (He had eaten hers as he watched over her in bed.) They sat quietly in front of the telly, watching some cartoon or something. John really didn't know, he just was there for support. At noon, his phone vibrated. Picking it up, he read the new text message.

"Hey. Just checking in to see if everything's ok. -SM" John smiled. Skye was so considerate.

"Is that Skye?" Harry asked, looking over at Johns phone.

"Yeah." He replied as he typed out his response.

"It's ok. We're good. -JW"

"Are we still going to take her up on that offer?" Harry asked.

"Which one?" John said with a bit of a chuckle. Harry crossed her arms in a bit of a pout.

"The one where she was going to take us around the city, of course! I really do want to go to the Botanical Gardens." Harry said, her voice a bit sticky sweet.

"Good. Did you want to do something this afternoon? -SM"

"I know, I know. We will before we leave, ok?" John said to Harry, who simply nodded before returning her attention to the telly.

"I think it's best if we just have a day in. Sorry. -JW"

"No problem. What about tomorrow? -SM"

"I'll let you know, ok? -JW"

"Ok. Talk to you soon. -SM"

John shut his phone off and settled down next to Harry. The two of them needed a lazy day to just relax.

**OOOOOOOOOO**

Hours later, John tossed and turned in bed. Nightmares had plagued his every sleeping moment that night, and this was the third time he'd woken up. Scrubbing his face, he sat up.  _Looks like I'm not going to get to sleep tonight_. John thought grumpily.

He turned his mobile on, checking the time. Bright white numbers glared back at him.  _4:52am_. Great. Just bloody great. John knew himself well enough that with this many nightmares that at five o'clock in the morning there was no hope of going back to sleep.

He did the calculations - it would be just about eight in the evening in London right now.  _Well, if I'm not going to sleep, I should at least check up on Sherlock and Ariel_. John thought, grabbing his phone again. A minute later, he sent a text.

"Got time to talk now. What's up? - JW" Ariel responded seconds later. Not for the first time, John marvelled at how quickly two people on opposite sides of the planet could talk to each other.

"Nothing much. Just finished dinner and watching Doctor Who. -AH"

"Sherlock's letting you watch Doctor Who? He hasn't told you to turn it off yet? -JW"

"No, he's not home. He's out investigating. -AH"

"Ah, that explains it. -JW" There was a brief pause in the conversation before John got another text.

"John, can I talk to you about something? -AH"

"Of course. What is it? -JW"

"John, I think I'm in love with him. -AH" John had a brief moment of shock, gaping down at his phone. He typed out his reply as quickly as possible.

"What?! What happened? Why would you say that? -JW"

"He nearly got me killed. He knew he was putting me in danger and didn't tell me. But I forgave him instantly. Also, I may have seen stars when he let me touch his knee and didn't try to shoo me away. -AH"

"Yeah, he'll do that to you. Put you in danger, I mean. He didn't try and shove it off? He just let you just fondle his knee? -JW"

"Yeah, your right. No, he didn't. I honestly was in shock. -AH"

"As am I at hearing this. Call me. We need to talk about this properly. -JW"

John sent the text and waited patiently for his phone to ring. He tapped his fingers rhythmically on the coffee table as he waited, thinking. First, Sherlock had nearly gotten Ariel killed, but where was the surprise in that? Sherlock managed to do that on a regular basis.

But Ariel, a level headed, beautiful, if a bit dramatic at times, woman, falling for Sherlock? That was definitely something you didn't see every day. But the more John thought about it, the more he realized that they would actually be pretty good for each other.

Ariel could be just as strong willed and stubborn as Sherlock at times, but she also had the human side to her that Sherlock seemed to lack. John had often worried about what would happen to Sherlock if he ever found a girl, got married and moved away from Baker Street. But if Ariel was there to keep Sherlocks attitude in check, maybe, just maybe, they could work.

At any rate, John needed to talk to Ariel about this. He just wished he could go home and deal with this. He knew Sherlock well enough to know that this would not go over well without Johns help. That man would scare away the one girl who seemed remotely interested in him!

John waited another minute before he realized Ariel hadn't called yet. He checked his texts - no new ones from her. John started to worry. Where could she be? Ariel was know to keep her promises, and she was punctual. But why hadn't she called yet? John decided if she wouldn't call, he would call her.

He punched in the numbers, and when the operator said that the number was wrong and please check to make sure you have the right area code, John laughed at himself. Of course. He was halfway around the world! It would probably cost her a fortune to call him.

John redialled the number, making sure to add the long distance numbers. He heard it ring. Once. Twice. Three times. After the fourth ring John began to worry. And when all he got was Ariels answering machine saying to please try again later or leave a message after the tone, he was really worried.

What on Earth could have happened to her? John took a deep breath, reasoning she'd call soon, and if not, he'd call her later. John lay back and tried to relax. Nothing happened. Ten, fifteen, twenty minutes later, his phone lay on the table, still very silent. John sighed and reached for his phone, dialling the numbers again. He hoped against hope she would answer.  
"Hello, you've reached Ariel Hunt. I'm not available right now..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh, What happened to Ariel? (Of course, if you've read my other fic, "Elementary, My Love", you'll know what's been happening.)
> 
> Please follow, favourite and review, and check out my other works too!


	11. Tell Him That, Would You?

**Chapter XI**

Three hours, and fifteen attempted phone calls later, John was sitting on the couch, worried sick. Where was Ariel? Why wasn't she answering her phone? Was she ok? Where the hell was Sherlock in all this? These questions raced around, unanswered, in Johns brain. John redialled the number again, waiting for the familiar voicemail to answer.

"Ugh!" He yelled frustratedly as shut his phone off. Harry stumbled into the living room, giving John a questioning look.

"What's wrong?" She asked as she made her way to the kitchen.

"Sherlock won't answer his phone. Nor will Ariel." He said frustratedly. Harry hadn't met Ariel but had heard about her, and only met Sherlock twice (both times ended with her nearly punching the man senseless).

"Why are you worried?" She asked, pouring two coffees and coming back to sit beside John.

"Because, I've been trying for hours. I'm just worried about them." John answered with a heavy sigh, taking the coffee from his sister. There was a moment of silence.

"Keep trying. You'll get them eventually." Harry reassured her brother. John smiled thankfully at her.

"I'm going for a shower." Harry added a moment later, getting up. John grabbed his phone again and dialled the number. John waited impatiently as the phone rung out. Where could she be?

"Hello?" Ariel answered the phone, her voice almost timid.

"What the hell happened to you calling me?" John shouted at the girl on the other end of the phone. Where on Earth had she been?

"I'm sorry. Something came up and I just got free time now." She said. John sighed angrily.

"What happened?" He asked reluctantly.

"Sherlock disappeared, Lestrade and I went after him, got shot at for a second time today and then arrested a half dozen baddies and a murderer. Nothing unusual." She said casually. John sighed again, and mumbled "Sherlock..." angrily under his breath. He put his hand over his brow, shaking his head.

"It's ok. He made it worth my while." Ariel said, a slight giggle in her voice. John froze.

"What... What did he do?" John ask cautiously, voice breaking the first time he started the question. Sherlock "making up" for being himself was unheard of.

"He took me out to dinner. Nice Greek place too. He even paid." Ariel said. John heard the fake disbelief in her voice and chuckled.

"You're going to tell me exactly what happened between you and Sherlock. What makes you say you're in love with him?" Johns managed to keep his voice slow and level, though he was slightly panicking.

"I just..." Ariel trailed off. John waited impatiently for her to continue.

"You know that feeling you get when you meet someone, and you just know that you'll be friends?" She asked.  _Yes, like Skye_. John thought, smiling, but Ariel was talking again. "It was like that when I met him. And since you left, leaving me to watch over him, we've become... close. Closer then I would have thought he'd let me. And it makes my head spin and my heart flutter like a bloody teenager, but I can't make it stop." She ended sounding exasperated.

Ariel then proceeded to describe to John exactly what had happened since he left, leaving John with more information then he cared to process at the moment. God, women could be so mental.

"Do you think I'm mad?" Ariel asked. John sighed.

"No. You're not mad. At least not completely. Because it would take a partially mad woman to be in love with Sherlock Holmes. And I have no doubt that you are, in fact, in love with him." John reassured her, kindly and gently. John heard Ariel sigh heavily.

"What should I do now?" She asked.

"Well, he at least values you as a friend, that much is clear. I guess you'll just have to keep pushing the boundaries and see where he tells you to stop." John said, and immediately cringed at how phoney it sounded. He hoped Ariel understood what he meant.

"Thanks John. You're amazing. I see why he's friends with you." Ariel said. John chuckled.

"Tell him that, would you?" John said laughingly. He heard Ariel chuckling on the other end of the line.

"I should go to bed." Ariel yawned out.

"Text me later, yeah?" John asked, mentally doing the calculations. It was just past midnight in London.

"You bet. Bye." Ariel said, an audible smile in her voice.

"Bye." John said, and hung up. He let out a loud sigh and Harry walked in, her hair wrapped up in a towel.

"What?" She asked, plopping down beside John. Her brother scrubbed his face.

"That was Ariel." He answered. "And it sounds like she had quite the eventful evening."

"Oh? Well, at least she's alright. And she got back to you. That's all that matters, yeah?" Harry said, flicking on the telly. John sighed.

"Yeah, I guess." He made himself comfortable and finished off his coffee.

"So, are we going anywhere with Skye today?" Harry asked excitedly. Johns eyes widened. He hadn't asked Skye yet.

"Where do you want to go?" John asked his sister, pulling out his phone to text their tour guide.

"You free today? -JW"

"Well, we could do the Flyer. Looks like fun, and it would be interesting to compare it to the London Eye." Harry said with a shrug, turning back to the telly.

"See what else we could do, to make a day of it." John suggested, handing Harry her laptop. She popped it open and began typing as John received a text.

"Yeah, I'm free. Want to do something? -SM"

"We were thinking the Flyer. -JW"

"Yes! That will be loads of fun! -SM"

 


	12. Top of the World

**Chapter XII**

"The website said that there is a flight simulator and a Formula-1 race track experience." Harry said as they road along in the cab. They were going to meet Skye at the base of the Flyer. John hummed, watching the buildings pass by.

"They also have a spa there. Can you believe it? A giant Ferris wheel with its own spa!" Harry cried gleefully. John rolled his eyes.

"But what am I going to do if you girls go to the spa?" He asked.

"I don't know. I thought you could entertain yourself." Harry teased. John chuckled.

"I usually can, but you'll be taking my girlfriend." He teased back. They arrived at their destination shortly. As John stepped out of the cab, he looked up and marvelled at the Flyer.

"Big, isn't it?" Harry asked quietly, joining him. John simply nodded.

"The website said it is 541 feet tall, making it the tallest Ferris wheel in the world." Harry whispered. John smiled. His sister really had done her research.

All of a sudden, Harry was waving, and as John brought his gaze back down to ground level, he saw Skye walking towards them. He smiled and gave her a hug before they all started walking towards the Flyer.

"So, what shall we do?" Skye asked as they walked towards the a gate.

"Well, I really want to ride the Flyer. It's a giant Ferris wheel!" Harry said excitedly.

"Actually, it's called an observation wheel, not a Ferris wheel." Skye corrected with a big smile. "But what else? There so much to do!"

"I don't know. What's good?" Harry asked. Skye let out a little chuckle.

"Well, the Fish Spa is amazing, but we should save that till the end of the day." Skye began. Harry jumped in.

"What's the Fish Spa?" She asked cautiously. She didn't much like the sound of it.

"It's a spa with a large tank of Garra Rufa's, or Doctor Fish, that nibble at your feet. It's quite soothing actually." Skye explained. Harry made a disgusted face, at which Skye laughed.

"It's not as awful as it sounds. I promise you'll like it." Skye added.

"I'll hold you to it." Harry said with a laugh. "What else is there to do?"

"Well, there's a flight simulator, an XD theatre, the gallery, there's tours, and you can also rent a Ferrari and drive on the Formula-1 circuit." Skye said excitedly. John chuckled.

"Personally, I'd really enjoy the flight simulator." John said. Skye turned and gave him a confused, questioning look.

"Mate of mine flew in the army. Always thought it would be neat to try." John answered the unspoken question before donning a large lopsided grin. Skye smiled sweetly in return.

"Ok, so Flyer, flight simulator and Fish Spa. What else? We've got the whole day to go." Skye asked.

"Oh! I'd love to drive a Ferrari!" Harry said excitedly. Skye and John chuckled.

"Why's that?" Skye asked politely.

"Because, I've always wanted to drive one. Plus, I love driving fast." Harry replied. John rolled his eyes. He remembered one time, him and Harry had gone go-carting as children.

Harry was maybe about ten, but she was dead set on beating her fourteen year old brother. John hadn't let her win, but he suspected the manager of the place had heard Harry's loud voice saying she was going to beat John and had given her a faster cart. Needless to say, Harry had spent the better part of the next week gloating.

"Right, anything else?" Skye asked, dragging John out of his memory.

"We should do a tour." He added, just throwing his tuppence in.

"Yeah, we should. And, some shopping of course." Harry added excitedly.

"Alright, so, the Flyer, the Fish Spa, flight simulator, a tour, a drive in a Ferrari and some shopping." Skye summarized with a large smile.

"Sounds perfect." Harry confirmed.

"Right, well, no use lollygagging. Let's put this master plan into action." John said, rubbing his hands together. With shared smiles, the three of them set off, ready for their wonderful day out.

**OOOOOOOOO**

Hours later, the sun had dipped below the horizon. The remnants of it blazed a red trail across the sky. The city lights, blues and yellows, greens and reds, oranges and even a hint of purple, began to illuminate the ever closer night. John helped first his sister and then Skye into the capsule of the great Singapore Flyer. And a moment later, they were headed towards the darkening sky.

They had accomplished everything that they had set out to do that morning, and John would never forget it. Especially when a particularly hungry Doctor Fish nibbled a little to hard on Harry's toe and she screamed her way across the room. But that didn't matter right now.

Skye had chosen the perfect time to board the Flyer. The city skyline, which they were just starting to be able to see, was light up beautifully, with it's radiant lights dancing off the water. John felt a small hand slip into his. He looked down and smiled. It was Skye's. A moment later, they were stopped, almost at the pinnacle of the wheels magnificent circle, when Harry took a deep breath.

"You alright, Harriet?" John whispered, laying a comforting hand on his sisters shoulder.

"Yeah. It's just... She would have loved this." Harry answered, in the same quiet tone, not taking her eyes of the Singapore skyline. John gave her a reassuring squeeze.

"She would have. And I'm sure she did." He replied. The three stood there, lost in their own thoughts as the silently climbed the final stretch to the top of the mighty wheel.

From their vantage point, John felt like he could see the entire world, if only he tried hard enough. The city stretched out in front of them, an endless sea of shapes and light. Orangey red streaks marked highways and overpasses. An endless array of towers littered the sky in front of them, each reaching as high as they dared to try and touch the heavens.

John would be lying if he said he did not stand in awe at the top of that wheel. But he would also be lying to say that was all he was thinking about. Because while he looked on, the hand in his intertwined it's fingers with his, and it's owner rested her beautiful head on his shoulder, and he felt complete.


	13. Only One Week

**Chapter XIII**

"Thank you." John whispered to Skye as the three of them made their way out to the street. Skye cocked her head at him questioningly, but just smiled. Soon the three of them piled into a cab, headed for Skye's hotel. John sat next to Skye, though the seating arrangement hadn't exactly been planned that way.

As they started off, Skye snaked her hand down and curled in Johns. A small smile creeped onto his face and he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. The rode in silence, each in their own thoughts and completely exhausted from their day of activity. Johns thoughts about Skye. How her hair curled in flowing chocolate rivulets, how her grey-green eyes shifted colour, how her smile brightened up the whole room, how her lips were velvet soft.

As John thought about her, he was reminded that soon, their relationship would have to end. John was going home in less than a week now, and he didn't know when Skye would be back to London. Plus, there was the added thought that it wouldn't last long even if Skye did come back with him.  _Sherlock drives away every girl I date_. John thought miserably.

It was true. The majority of Johns previous relationships had all ended because of Sherlock, either directly or indirectly.  _Maybe if he goes out with Ariel, that will change_. John thought with an inward chuckle. He remembered their call this morning, how she had seemed so flustered. Of course, that made John think about the flat he was staying in. John then began to think of all the stuff that still needed doing before they left. And then of course, the actual funeral.

 _The funeral!_  John thought. Even though he had arranged it, he had almost forgotten about it. It was scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. John heard Harry and Skye start chatting, but he stayed lost in his thoughts.  _Maybe Skye would come to the funeral_. John thought as he listened to her giggle.

He'd love her to come, just for support. He didn't need it, he didn't miss his aunt that much, but Harry would be all tears tomorrow. She'd need Johns shoulder to lean on, but John would be happy if there was some else she could lean on (or at least, that John could lean on in turn). A few minutes later, the cab pulled up to Skye's hotel. John and Skye hopped out and walked up to the front doors.

"Thank you for the wonderful day, John. I really enjoyed myself." Skye said, a delicate smile painting her lips. John smiled back.

"No, thank you." He replied. They giggled for a moment together, John not wanting to leave.

"Skye, you wouldn't happen to want to, maybe, come to my aunts funeral tomorrow, would you?" John asked awkwardly. Skye gave him a kind smile.

"Sure. Text me the details and I'll come." She said. With that, she leaned in and gave John a gentle kiss.

"Good night, Dr. Watson." She whispered with a sky, flirtatious grin.

"Night." John whispered back with a wink. Skye giggled before pulling away and entering the building. John watched her disappear through the lobby before turning back to the cab. He climbed in, and as the cab sped off, he let out a sigh.

"What?" Harry asked, perking up from her spot on the car bench. John smiled at her.

"I really wasn't looking forward to this trip. But I'm glad I came." He told his sister.

"Oh right. Because you wouldn't have met your newest girlfriend if Aunt Claire hadn't died." Harry teased with a dramatic eye roll. John chuckled at her antics.

"No, that's not why. That's was just a bonus. I mean, Singapore is a beautiful place. I enjoyed today." He answered. Their laughter died away, and after a few minutes of comfortable silence, they arrived back at the flat.

John unlocked the door and the two sank into the sofa for some telly. They watched crap telly for an hour or so before John remembered what was happening tomorrow. He cleared his throat as he prepared to remind Harry.

"Harry, you do know tomorrow is..." John began.

"Yeah, the funeral. I know." Harry responded, though she kept her eyes focused on the screen and her tone was completely disconnected. John sighed and tugged on s sister until she faced him.

"What?" She asked, obviously annoyed.

"Are you ok Harry? With tomorrow?" John asked sweetly. Harry sighed against him.

"Yeah, I guess. I mean, I still can't believe she's gone, but I've let go of the pain, you know?" She explained. John nodded and Harry continued.

"It's not like I don't miss her. I do. But I'm not mad anymore. Or sad. I know she's in a better place, even if I can't see her." John nodded in agreement and stretched out his hand to wipe away the silent tears falling from Harry's face. His sister laughed when she realized she was crying.

"Look at me, crying like a little girl. But I guess I always will be one to you, huh, Johnny?" She said with a sad chuckle. John responded in kind.

"Yeah, yeah you will Harry." He spoke softly. He pulled his sister into a hug.

"I love you, sis." He whispered in her ear.

"I love you too, Johnny." She whispered back. The two split apart and shared a laugh. John stood up and went to the kitchen. Coming back, he had in his hand a tub of ice cream and two spoons. He handed a spoon to Harry and sat down beside her. He popped off the kid to the container and offered it to Harry, who took a spoonful.

"I figured you could use it." John said, smiling at his sister as she curled back up on the sofa next to him, dipping her spoon in again.

"Thanks John." Harry replied.

"What are brothers for?" John answered with a chuckle. "After all, this has been one horrible week."

"God, it's only been a week?" Harry responded with a groan. John chuckled at her.

"Yeah, unfortunately. But I promise the next one will be better." He said.

Harry just hummed at his side. They continued watching telly and eventually popped in a disc of 'The Avengers'. Harry ooh'd and ah'd over Robert Downey Jr. and John just laughed at her as she involuntarily sighed when he was in screen. His sister would hit him back and remind him that Robert Downey Jr. was the only man she'd be straight for. That only made John laugh harder. In the midst of all the action, John fired off a text to Skye that had all the details for tomorrow. After the movie, the two Watson's went to bed, preparing for tomorrow.

 


	14. Sweet Dreams Sunshine

**Chapter XIV**

_In loving memory of Claire Emily Baldwin_  
Born 1957 - Died 2013  
'Sweet Dreams Sunshine'

That's what the headstone read. John had read it over and over again in the last hour. Not so much out of choice, but because he tried to still his mind amongst the emotional chaos that was the funeral.

Harry had been balling her eyes out since they left the flat and was somehow still crying. John had been relieved when Skye showed up. If for no other reason, it was nice to have someone to lean on after dealing with his sisters emotional state.

However, to his utter amazement, there was about a dozen people who came to the funeral, aside from himself, Harry and Skye. All these other people wept as the funeral director said a few words. His aunt hadn't been religious or believed that dying was anything that required a special ceremony for, so there was little time spent congregated around the grave.

John, Harry and Skye had been among the first to leave, John noticing his sister's worsening emotional state. The three of them went back to the flat. Inside, Skye comforted Harry as John dug around in the kitchen and brought back a bag of crisps, three glasses and a bottle of whiskey.

Skye gave him a questioning look but John just shook his head and sat down on the opposite side of Harry. He cracked the brand new bottle and poured a small amount into each of the three glasses before recapping the bottle and handing a glass to Harry and one to Skye. Harry accepted hers but stared at her brother, a look of confusion on her tearstained face.

"It was Aunt Claire's favourite. Plus, I think we could all use a drink right now." John explained with a small shrug. Harry nodded her thanks and took a mouthful of the alcohol.

Skye looked at John, silently asking if this was a good idea. While she couldn't dismiss the fact that her own nerves had become a bit frayed that afternoon, she certainly didn't think alcohol was going to help the situation. John just gave her a slight nod, telling her it would be ok. Resigning to Johns wishes, Skye drank from her glass. The three of them sat there, drinking the whiskey in sorrowful silence.

After John had poured them each their third glass, Harry began to speak.

"She was amazing. Truly amazing. The world lost a good woman." She said, her voice low and raw, but not choked up by tears.

"Tell me more about her." Skye asked, slipping on her whiskey. Harry nodded.

"She was... She was my best friend. In uni. She pulled me through some hard times. It's not easy being gay." She said with a sad chuckle. Skye just smiled, encouraging her.

"She used to tell me jokes, make me laugh at the stupidest things. I remember, one time, I came home from a particularly hard day, and to cheer me up, she made us wear bunny ears for the whole evening." Harry recalled, laughing at the memory as she took a sip from her glass.

"And god, she was an awful cook. She tried to make roast chicken one time and nearly burnt the house down." Harry related. Skye and John laughed along.

John watched as Skye comforted his sister. The Watson's were not overly affectionate people, but John could see that his sister needed someone right now and that, unfortunately, he wasn't that one.

Harry continued to recount stories of their dead aunt, bringing about round after round of laughter. Soon, it was well past supper time. Harry insisted on ordering in something, and Skye suggested some local cuisine. John let her order, as the ma and pa type place Skye was ordering from had staff that barely spoke English and, unlike John or Harry, Skye spoke perfect Mandarin Chinese. With the food on the way, the three settled back into easy conversation.

"If you don't mind my asking," Skye began, "why did your aunt move here? I mean, it's so far from home and family. Why did she move halfway across the world?"

"She loved to travel, whenever she could. Singapore was one of her favourite places to visit. When she finally had the funds, she found a place and a job here and moved. She never liked England. It was to dull for her. Even London. But she found her pace of life here." Harry explained, a fond smile on her face. John was content just to relax and listen to the conversation.

"What side of the family was she from?" Skye asked politely.

"She was our mum sister." Harry said. Long ago, her tears had dried, but John could still see them threatening to fall in her eyes.

"Nice. What did she do?" Skye asked. Harry chuckled.

"All sorts of things. She was a gardener, a maid, a waitress, a barmaid... the list was really endless. I remember, when I was having a rough time in uni, she told me "Don't you dare give up on your education, or you'll end up like me. Hopping from job to job, not knowing where your next pay check will come from." And then, she looked me straight in the eye and said "You make me so proud." It really kept me going." Harry related, the memory of that occasion dampening her eyes for the briefest of moments.

About a half hour later, the doorbell rang. Skye insisted on getting it, despite Johns protests. Skye carried the frankly delicious smelling food into the kitchen.

"Let me come help." John offered, joining Skye in the kitchen. As soon as he was working beside her and out of earshot from Harry, he whispered,

"Thank you." Skye looked at him, confused as they set about preparing for dinner.

"What for?" She asked in a hushed voice as she pulled dishes from the cupboard.

"For comforting Harry. She needs it and I... I don't have the strength right now to help her properly." John admitted. Skye gave him a warm smile.

"Well, I'm glad I can help." She replied. John smiled back at her, and pulled her in for a quick kiss before they headed out to the small table with the food.

Harry got up and joined them there, and they enjoyed their delicious meal. They kept the conversation light, turning to funny stories or celebrity gossip or fashion trends or what have you. John spent most of the evening silent, alone with his thoughts as he listened to his sister and his lover talk and laugh and enjoy themselves.

There was a bottle of wine that was brought out at some point, and that was finished off befor the end of the evening. At half ten, Skye bid the Watson siblings goodnight and, with a kiss from John, headed to her hotel. Lying down on his sofa, John honestly couldn't think of when he had felt this many emotions of other people in one day. It was exhausting.

 


	15. As an Orchid

**Chapter XV**

John was happy to find upon waking that his sister was in a much better mood today. Harry was already up and sitting at the table on her laptop. John got up off the sofa.

"Morning John." Harry said happily from her spot. John mumbled back his good morning and headed for the toilet. Returning to the sitting room feeling much more awake, John noticed that his sister had already eaten, so heading to the kitchen, he made himself something for breakfast. Sitting across from Harry, he dug into his food.

"Are we doing anything today?" Harry asked as she typed away. John swallowed.

"I hadn't arranged anything. Is there something you want to do?" He asked. At the moment, he was willing to do anything to keep her in this mood.

"Well, I really want to go to the Botanical Gardens and then maybe some shopping. I've hardly done any since we arrived." Harry requested, closing her laptop.

"Sounds like a good plan. Shall I ask Skye to join us?" John asked, pulling out his phone. Harry bit her lip, clearly trying to decide.

"Would it be ok if I said no?" Harry said uncertainly. John gave her a reassuring smile.

"Sure. If you don't want her to come today, that's fine. I think she said she had a meeting today anyway." John responded, trying not to make his sister feel guilty.

"Ok. Be ready to go in, say, an hour?" She said with her characteristic giggle.

"It's a date." He said with a chuckle.

**OOOOOOOO**

An hour later, the two of them walked into the luscious public gardens. John marvelled at the thousands of different shades of green that met his eyes, with the occasional splash of purple or hint of yellow and orange.

Harry insisted on collecting a map from the visitors centre, which John would later appreciate. The wandered through the gardens, passing only the occasional visitor. John noted the signs as they passed through various gardens - Healing Garden, Evolution Garden, Rainforest - until Harry lead John to a lake.

She sat down on the grassy banks of the lake, not more than an meter from the edge of the water. John came to sit beside her, suddenly worried about her.

"This is called Symphony Lake." She said in a low voice, watching the gentle breeze make ripples in the glassy surface of the water. John felt absolutely relaxed. It was a peaceful spot, with a beautiful view and nobody around. It was just him and his sister.

"You ok?" John whispered, not wanting to break the peace of the moment. Harry nodded.

"Just thinking." She said in a whisper as well.

"About what?" John asked. Harry smiled and turned to face him.

"About how much I needed this." She replied, before getting up, standing over John. He looked up at her confused. She giggled.

"Come on, lazy bones, up." Harry giggled, helping John to his feet. The two of them wandered rather silently through the next two gardens - the Ginger Garden and Palm Valley. The were just coming out of Palm Valley when Harry spotted something.

"Oh Johnny, can we? Can we, please?" She asked, sounding like an overly excited little girl as she tugged on his arm. John tried to figure out the cause of her excitement.

"What?" He asked, confused when he couldn't find what had her so worked up.

"Can we go? Please?" She begged, pointing to the sign just ahead of them. John nearly lost it laughing. He managed only to giggle slightly.

"Exactly why are you begging to go to the National Orchid Garden?" John asked, a pleased grin on his face. Harry pouted, putting her hands on her hips like a five year old.

"Because, orchids are my favourite flower and I really want I see them. Please Johnny? Please?" She continued begging, giving him the puppy dog eyes. This time John did laugh, loud and long.

"Alright, fine. If it will make you happy." He consented with another chuckle. Harry bounded ahead of him, John chuckling as he trailed behind her.

John handed the gate keeper the fee and they were let in. They entered the garden, Harry taking every opportunity to gawk over they beautiful flowers there. John thought they were nice and smelled good, but honestly couldn't see why his sister was so excited about them.

There was a park bench situated in front of a particularly large patch of pink orchids where John sat down to take a short break and Harry joined him after sniffing the sweet smelling flower behind them.

As they were sitting there, a park attendant came by and offered to take their picture. Harry had said yes before John could say a word and soon they were seated side by side smiling for the camera. When they got their camera back, Harry had a quick look at the photo.

"That's a keeper!" She said happily. John leaned over her shoulder and looked at it. It was actually a very nice picture of the two of them.

"Yeah, it is." He agreed. They finished their leisurely walk through the gardens and wandered back they way they came in.

When they hit the busy street, John hailed a cab. Instructing the cabbie to take them to a near by shopping mall, they sped off. The cab ride was quick and all to soon John found himself being dragged through store after store behind his sister, carrying her purchases and generally being her pack horse.

As a Singaporean lady was trying to sell Harry a perfume made from fish oil, John's text tone went off. As quickly as he could, he silenced the phone, looking at his new text. It was from Skye.

"Hey. How's it going? -SM" John was all to happy to have a distraction from the benefits of fish oil conversation going on in front of him.

"Well enough. I took Harry shopping. Big mistake. Some lady is trying to sell her fish oil perfume. Honestly, I don't know much about fish but I'm pretty sure they can't make you look younger. -JW" He texted back.

"Haha. I know what you mean. Wanna do dinner? -SM"

"God yes. But I had better ask Harry if it's ok. -JW"

"Yes, you better. Hehe. -SM"

"Right. On it. Soon as this lady shuts up. -JW"

"Oh John! -SM" John chuckled. He loved that Skye laughed with him on so many things. He waited for about two more minutes before interrupting his sister's conversation.

 


	16. Umm 10?

**Chapter XVI**

Harry had told John to have a wonderful evening out with his new girlfriend. Or at least, it was something along those lines. John didn't really listen to his sister's teasing remarks, only that she had given him permission to go out that evening.

He hopped out of the cab and headed for the restaurant. The sleek black sign in the window glowed with a warm yellow light that lit up the words  _Les Amis_. John pushed open the door and stood in awe of the beautiful establishment.

Deep burgundy velvet lined the upper half of the tall walls while white marble decorated the lower half. Crystal chandeliers dangled from the ceiling and exquisite paintings dotted the walls. The tables were clad in elegant white cloths and tan armchairs sat waiting for their patrons. John spotted Skye right away, but before he could go over to her, a waiter approached him.

"Do you need a table, sir?" He asked. John gave the man a smile.

"No, thank you. I'm here to meet the girl over there." John answered, discreetly pointing in the direction of Skye. The waiter looked and nodded.

"Of course. Right this way, sir." The waiter responded, leading John to the table Skye sat at. As soon as she saw him, Skye gave John a wide grin. John sat down and the waiter left them.

John and Skye fell into idle chat as they perused the menu of fancy French cuisine. John, being the practical man he was, looked at the prices as well. He was astonished by the reasonable prices, though they were still on what he would call the high side. Skye caught his wide eyed gaze at the menu and giggled.

"If you're worried about prices, dinner's on my company tonight." She bubbled out. John smiled and gave his own little chuckle.

"When will you let me pay for a meal?" He asked.

"The moment I'm not already getting them for free." Skye giggled. John joined her in a round of laughter.

As the laughter died away, Skye asked,  
"Do you want to do something tomorrow?" John thought for a moment.

"I really do want to go to the bird park. That is, if you don't mind coming." John said thoughtfully. Skye giggled again.

"Of course not." She said, smiling. The rest of the evening was spent with a bottle of wine, delicious food and lots of laughter.

John escorted Skye home, kissing her passionately before she said goodnight and disappeared inside the hotel's lobby. John stumbled into his aunt's flat at half eleven, where Harry was curled up on the sofa watching a movie. She gave him a suspicious look.

"Where have you been?" Harry asked, teasingly. John just gave her a chuckle.

"Out." He replied with a cheeky grin. He wandered off to the washroom to prepare for bed. He returned to the living room in his blue plaid pyjama bottoms and grey T-shirt, teeth brushed and clean. Harry was on his laptop.  _Strange_. John thought. But before he could even open his mouth, Harry answered his unspoken question.

"Your computer is the only one with the SD card reader. And seeing as how I forgot the camera cord, I had to do it on yours." She said, not even looking up. John nodded, though it was mainly to himself and padded into the kitchen for a glass of water.

Returning once more to the living room, his sister finished her business, closed the laptop and bid him goodnight before retiring to her room. John settled on the sofa and picked up his laptop. He scrolled through the few photos they had taken of their trip thus far. As he scrolled, a thought occurred to him.

 _I should send Ariel an email_. John smiled to himself as he opened his email and clicked the "compose" button. He typed up the email, adding the photo of him and Harry from the day and sent it to her.  _Now she can't complain I never sent her any pictures_. John thought with a chuckle.

As he stared at he computer screen, his eyes fell upon the time. 12:34am. John groaned. Why did he have to stay up so late? At dinner, he and Skye had made arrangements to go out with Harry to the bird park tomorrow.  _Today_. His brain supplied helpfully. John shut his laptop, closed his eyes, scrubbed his face and fell into bed. He barely managed to pull the covers over himself before he fell asleep.

**OOOOOOOOOOO**

John awoke to the sounds of his sister attempting (and failing) to quietly make herself breakfast. Scrubbing the sleep from his eyes as he sat up, he called out to his sister.

"What time is it?" He heard Harry freeze for a brief second, startled by his voice, before she answered.

"It's... quarter past eight." She said. A moment later, she walked into the kitchen carrying a plate of toast with jam.

"Why?" She asked, sitting down at the table, taking a bite of her toast as she opened her laptop. John scrubbed his face again and groaned. It was to early for this.

"Skye planned for us to go to the bird park today." John said, pushing himself up off the sofa. Harry continued munching her toast.

"What time?" She asked, scrolling through her emails. John blinked.

"Ummm... Ten? I'm not sure." He said, confused. Harry looked up at him with a sly grin.

"You didn't ask her, did you?" She teased. John walked over and closed her laptop as payback.

"I'll text her and find out." He answered as he padded off to the bathroom to get ready for the day. He grabbed his phone, sending off a text to Skye as he brushed his teeth.

"Morning beautiful. What time shall we leave for the park? -JW" John smiled down at his phone as it vibrated with Skye's reply.

"Morning handsome. Around ten? I'll come pick you guys up. -SM" John gave a soft chuckle. They had decided on a relative time after all. He quickly sent off a reply.

"Alright. See you then, gorgeous. -JW" John finished up in the bathroom and headed to confirm their plans for the day with his sister. John grabbed himself some breakfast, sitting and enjoying his eggs while they waited.

Skye arrived promptly at 10am, taxi waiting outside as she knocked on the door, which Harry answered.

"Ready to go?" She asked, a wide smile on her face.

"Can't wait!" Harry said excitedly. Skye and John both chuckled.

"Well, let's go already!" John said, filing the girls out the door and locking it behind them. Today was going to be a good day.

 


	17. Birds of a Feather

**Chapter XVII**

The three of them arrived at the park, a huge area covered in lush forests and concrete pathways. John found it reminiscent of the Botanical Gardens they had visited yesterday.

They had barely made it a hundred meters through the gate before Skye excitedly pointed out a large parrot in soft shades of blue, green and yellow.

"Look over there!" She said excitedly. The walked up to it, marvelling at the creature before them, when a park attendant came up to them.

"His name is Vo chong." The female attendant said with a smile. John turned to give her a friendly smile, which she kindly returned.

"He's very beautiful." Harry remarked, taking a picture of the bird.

"He is. However, he can be a bit vain." She replied with giggle before asking. "Is this your first time to the park?" John nodded.

"Well, make sure to watch the 'High Flyers' show at three. It's truly amazing." She said.

"Thanks. We will." John replied as the park attendant left them. The small group moved on into the park until they came across an outdoor penguin habitat. John furrowed his brow in confusion. Why would there be penguins in tropical weather? As if on cue, his sister asked out loud,  
"Shouldn't it be cold for the penguins?"

Skye giggled as she pointed to the plaque that talked about the birds.

"It says here that they're African Penguins. They live in tropical waters." She answered with a smile. John chuckled as well.

"Good. Don't worry Harry, they're not hot." He mockingly teased his sister. Harry chose to ignore him, deciding instead to walk on.

The three of them strolled through the exhibits, seeing all sorts of birds, from flamingos and macaws, to cockatoos and parakeets. John felt a little in awe. Sure, he'd seen most of these kinds of birds before, whether in zoos and pet stores or on the telly, but he'd never seen so many different types in one place before. It was beautiful.

"Hey, they have a tram ride that takes you around the park. Let's catch it." Harry said excitedly. John couldn't help but laugh.

"You're tired already?" He asked. Harry frowned at him.

"No, but that way we can see more of the park! Besides, the first place we can get off is near where you two wanted to have lunch." She explained, leading them to the tram.

"Alright, fine." John conceded with another chuckle. They hopped on the next tram and John was pleasantly surprised at how much of the park they actual saw as they rode it. They saw most of the owl exhibit, some spoonbills (that's what the map said, anyways) and a couple crowned pigeons, which John didn't even knew existed until he saw them. The first stop came up and Skye lead the way off the tram and through the park this time.

"Oh, look! Toucans!" Skye said excitedly before scampering off in the direction of the exhibit. John and Harry caught up with her a few moments later. The sound of several large birds squawking filled the air as they approached Skye, who was looking up into the  
tall trees of the lush rainforest surrounding them.

"Look there! See! It's a Toucan!" Skye said excitedly, pulling John in beside her as she pointed at a spot on nearby tree. As if it could sense the attention of the three humans below, the Toucan squawked and flew down to a lower, closer branch. All three of them stood, completely in awe of the magnificent bird. After minutes of ogling and several photos, they moved on, walking through the rest of the exhibit. As they exited it, Harry pulled out the map again.

"This one looks interesting." She said, pointing to a nearby exhibit. John leaned over her shoulder to look. It was labeled 'Lory Loft' and had an illustration of colourful birds flying.

"Sure. Let's go." He responded with a slight shrug. To be honest, he didn't particularly care where they were, as long as they kept moving. Soon, they found themselves climbing up to one of the several suspension bridges that crisscrossed the large enclosed jungle area.

At first glance, John thought this was going to be rather uneventful. But how wrong he was. As soon as they were up, Skye grabbed them each a cup of bird food and lead the way out onto the suspension bridge. There, hundreds of lories and lorikeets in blood reds, lime greens, sunshine yellows and ocean blues, and varying shades of, littered the area.

They were on trees, flying through the air, lining the wired rails of the bridges and even on some of the guests who were feeding them. John gaped the rainbow of colourful birds before him, each one dazzling in its colours.

"Hold out the food, John." Skye kindly said from beside him. John extended his arm towards where a particularly vibrant red lory was. With a curious head tilt, it took flight and landed on John's wrist, pecking diligently at the food in the small container. John grinned like a five year old boy, giddy with excitement. Skye giggled behind him and he turned to give her the same boyish grin. She smiled, lifting up her camera and taking a few pictures of the bird and John. Harry joined them a minute later, a girlish giggle ripping through her.

"Looks like you've found a new friend, Johnny." She giggled out. John just gave her a smile. The three of them strolled through the Lory Loft, observing the antics of the birds and feeding them as they went along. They were about three quarters done when Harry's stomach rumbled. John looked at her and chuckled.

"Looks like someone's hungry." He said. His sister pouted ahead of him. Skye smiled.

"Good timing. Our reservations for lunch in twenty minutes." She said, checking her watch.

"Good. I'm hungry too." John said with a grin as he linked arms with Skye. Skye giggled.

"I could stand a bit of food." She giggled out. Harry was looking at the map again.

"It's just over there." She said, pointing. John gave a lopsided grin.

"Lead the way, then." He answered with a grand wave of his arm. Skye giggled again while Harry remained oblivious to her brothers antics behind her. She lead the small group to a rather long, low building. It was called the Songbird Terrace.

It was a beautiful and rustic restaurant, overlooking the flamingo exhibit. They were seated right away at a comfortable table on the deck and Skye lead them over to the simple and elegantly designed buffet table, where a variety of Asian cuisine was laid out in a beautiful display.

John had the feeling that this might possibly be the best lunch he'd ever have. At any rate, it beat having a sandwich from beside a severed head.


	18. Show Time

**Chapter XVIII**

Just as John was finishing his second helping of lunch, sipping on a glass of some sort of juice, a trainer made his way over to their table, a stunning yellow and green bird.

"Hello." The bird said as they approached. Skye and Harry smiled at the bird.

"Hello." Harry returned the greeting, giving it a little wave. The trainer smiled down at the bird.

"What's your name?" He asked the bird.

"Quincy!" The bird squawked. Skye giggled.

"Hi Quincy." She said, smiling.

"Quincy!" The bird squawked again. The trainer gave it a small treat, which it took eagerly from his hand.

"Quincy here is a Yellow headed Amazon parrot. And he's very good at mimicking human emotions." The trainer said. Then he looked at the parrot. "Quincy, are you sad?" At the verbal cue, the parrot began to sob. Harry looked concerned at the poor bird.

"Is he alright?" She asked the trainer. John rolled his eyes at his idiotic sister.

"Yes. This is his show. Good job, Quincy." The trainer said, giving the bird another treat. "What did you think of the joke you heard earlier?" Quincy let out a round of loud laughter, at which the rest of the table burst into giggles. Once the laughter died away, the trainer gave them a kind smile.

"What does a cat say?" He asked the parrot. The bird immediately responded with a long, "meow". The group applauded.

"And a dog?" The trainer prompted.

"Bark, bark, bark." Quincy answered. The trainer gave him another treat, turning to the table again.

"Any requests for Quincy here?" He asked, looking over the group. There was a pause before Harry stuck her hand up eagerly.

"Oh, oh, I know! Quincy, what does the fox say?" Harry asked the bird. Quincy cocked his head and shuffled on his perch before responding with, "Ring, ing, ing, ing!" Again, a round of applause, this time accompanied by laughter. The trainer smiled down at Quincy.

"Quincy, it's time to go. What do you say when we have to leave?" He asked.

"Goodbye." Quincy answered.

"Goodbye Quincy." Harry said as the trainer moved away with the bird.

"Goodbye." Quincy squawked out one last time. The group refocussed on their food.

"That was so cool." Harry said as the quiet settled in again. Skye nodded.

"It was." She agreed. The girls finished their food as another bird and it's trainer came up to their table.

"Hello. My name is Michael and this is Pikasso. She's a sulphur crested cockatoo who loves to paint. Would you like to see her create a masterpiece?" The trainer said enthusiastically. John smiled at Harry and Skye, who both returned it.

"Alright, show us what she can do." John said, leaning back in his chair to get a better view. The trainer, Michael, set up a small easel with a little canvas on it beside the table. He then pulled out the small drawer from the easel, exposing the pallet of colours and a bar for the bird to sit on.

As soon as the bird saw it's perch, it flew to it, eager to get started. The trainer then handed the bird a paintbrush, which it took in its beak. Without a moments hesitation, the bird dipped it into one of the colours and smeared it around the canvas. Five minutes later, Pikasso dropped her brush beside the pallet and flew to perch on the trainer's shoulder.

"And there you have it. A masterpiece created by a beautiful bird." Michael said as he gave Pikasso a treat. There was a round of applause for the bird's talent and it's work.

"You know, you can by this piece for only ten dollars." Michael said. The siblings locked eyes, having a silent conversation before John sighed and pulled out his wallet.

"We'll take it." He said, a bit begrudgingly. The trainer handed him the canvas and took the money, thanking him for the purchase before walking on to the next table. John passed the canvas to Harry, who bounced took it from him eagerly.

"Thanks Johnny." She said, looking over the piece of art before tucking it safely into her purse. John rolled his eyes before saying,

"Yeah, you're welcome. But no more junk. We already have to ship stuff home." He said. There was a couple of giggles before they settled down again. Skye checked the time.

"Come on, we'd better go if we want to make it to that high flyers show." She said, grabbing her bag and standing up. The other two followed suit, walking swiftly beside her.

"Umm, Skye? Where are we going?" John asked, finally catching up to her. Skye stopped dead in her tracks.

"Actually, I'm not sure." She said, frowning as she looked around. John heard Harry sigh behind him before she pulled out the park map and looked it up.

The paper shuffled a few times as she figured out where they were before she looked up and pointed, saying,  
"That way." The three moved in the direction that Harry had pointed, eager to get to the show. A short walk and a few minutes later, the trio arrived at the theatre where the show was to be held.

"'Pools Amphitheatre'. We're here." Harry informed them, as they walked through the entryway. John hummed in acknowledgement as he gazed around the big arena. There was a half circle of seats, stacked in the usual way (much like a cinema) and made of concrete. In the centre was a large green oval with a podium in the middle.

The far side, opposite the seats was open on a large jungle enclosure with a waterfall and a river running down the middle. It was quiet pretty. John frowned at the concrete benches.

"How long is this show?" He asked, already feeling his bad leg cramping up.

"About an hour." Skye said casually. "Why?" She asked, her and Harry both turning to look at him. John shifted his weight from one foot to the other, not wanting to appear weak. A full minute past before Harry finally understood.

"Oh." She gasped quietly. "You going to be ok?" John gave a firm smile.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." He said dismissively. With one last worried look from Harry, John sat down and got as comfortable as he could on the cold concrete. Smiling graciously at them as they sat, John watched as people filled into the amphitheater. Hopefully this would be rather interesting. He hoped.


	19. Crown Jewels

**Chapter XIX**

John had seen many wonderful things in his life. From watching the bird his dad had helped him rehabilitate when he was eleven fly again, to the hazy purple nights in Afghanistan. And this show ranked on his top one hundred list of amazing things he'd seen. From parrots that talked and sang, to macaws that fly through tiny hoops, to just the general beauty that was the flock of birds they presented was incredible and beautiful.

"Wow. That was amazing." Harry said rather speechlessly as they exited the amphitheater. Skye and John both made their agreements, all of them talking about the various acts and how incredible they were. The three were almost back to the building they had lunch at before they realized they needed to pick a new destination.

"The park's open for a couple more hours. We might as well get a couple more exhibits in." Skye said. John hummed in agreement, feeling stiff from the concrete seats.

"What about this -" Harry suggested a route, visiting a few of the exhibits before catching the tram back to the gates at the end, showing her suggestion to her brother and Skye on the park map.

"Sounds good to me." John agreed, smiling. Skye smiled too.

"Let's get going then!" She giggled out as they headed towards the first exhibit, which was Southeast Asian Birds. As they wandered through the enclosure, John couldn't honestly say he fully appreciated all that he saw. He was still somewhat struck by the show he had just witnessed.

However, as he replayed his favourite bits over in his mind, he made sure to follow the girls as they weaved through a couple more exhibits, of which John didn't recall much about. The next thing he knew, they were placed face to face with one of the tram stations, but just beyond it was a gateway to another larger exhibit. The girls were seeming to be deciding wether or not they should go in.

"What do you think John? Do you want to go into the Waterfall Aviary or would you rather start heading back?" Skye asked, turning to him. John pondered for a moment before checking his watch and the park closure time.

"Well, I reckon we have enough time to have a quick tour of the Aviary, ride the tram back and still have time to peruse the gift shop." He said with a chuckle. Harry seemed excited by the prospect of shopping.

"Right. Let's go!" She exclaimed cheerily, marching towards the entrance. Skye and John shared a good chuckle behind her back before following her in. And what John saw honestly astonished him, for what felt like the tenth time that day. The frankly massive enclosure, that John would later learn was 13 stories high and took up 2 hectares of land, was like a scene from a paradise movie.

Giant, cascading waterfalls fell through what looked like a hole in the canopy of trees. The lush greenery covered every inch of space, putting every childhood fantasy John had about the illustrious Amazon rainforest to shame. This was, without a shadow of a doubt, a piece of paradise. It even had a small, wooden hut in amongst the foliage. And then there was the crown jewels - the birds.

The colourful creatures were scattered around, chirping and warbling happily as they mingled and ate. The electric and royal blues, the blood reds, the daffodil yellows, the lime greens and golden browns of the throng of species was astounding. John was speechless as he gazed around the massive sanctuary.

"Magnificent, isn't it?" Skye asked in a whisper as she clutched his hand. It was all John could do to nod.

"Come on." She whispered, and tugged him forward. The spell broken, John walked alongside her, marvelling at the little world that had been created around him. Harry was somewhat ahead of them, which John was vaguely aware of but didn't really care about.

"There are some 600 birds in this sanctuary." Skye informed him as they walked.

"I believe that. This place is huge." He said, causing a giggle to come from Skye.

"If you could fly, you'd like the room too." She giggled. The three of them took the small hike up to the little hut, which was perched at the bottom of a tree, on top of a hill, and beside a waterfall. It was stunning. They stood in the hut, leaning out the window to fully appreciate the view.

"Wow." John said, the word unconsciously slipping though his lips. Skye smiled.

"Yeah. If I had to live in a zoo, I'd happily live here." She said.

"Yeah, it's incredible." Harry breathed out beside her. A large parrot glided above their heads, swooping and swirling in the air effortlessly. John watched weave a path in the sky, marvelling at its tiny adjustments of feathers, the slight tilt of its wings, and how it seemed to do so without any strain on its body. Amazing.

"What are you thinking about?" Skye asked, jolting the good doctor back to the ground. He looked over at the smiling woman, and briefly noted that Harry was wondering away.

"Just how amazing it must be for these creatures to fly." John replied, smiling back.

"Mmmm, it would be amazing to have wings, wouldn't it?" Skye asked, her eyes gazing up at a flock of red birds that were resting on the branches of the tree opposite them.

"It would." John agreed. There was a moment of silence before Skye release a low sigh.

"I guess we'd better be going, huh?" She said, the tinkle of laughter in her voice.

"Yeah." John said with a chuckle. "Where'd Harry wander off to?"

"She went down to the little gift shop near the entrance." Skye replied, smiling. "Come on, let's go get her."

The managed to get Harry and get on the tram without incident, and even managed a solid twenty minutes of shopping in the gift centre before they left in a taxi. John clutched the bag containing his sister and Skye's purchases, which included a watch with two scarlet macaws on it for John.

The doctor had also bought his sister a gift - a small stuffed African penguin plushy. Which was meant as a joking reminder of how worried she had gotten over the penguins. The cab ride was short, and ended with the three of them at the flat, hovering over Chinese takeaway.

"So, what's your guys plan for tomorrow?" Skye asked, smiling as she ate.

"Haven't got one yet." John replied. Skye hummed, taking a moment to think.

"You know, since you're only here for a couple more days, you should do a food tour. Taste all the local cuisine, do a bit of sight seeing and even a bit of shopping." Skye suggested. John and Harry locked eyes, having a silent sibling conversation.

"That would be awesome!" Harry said excitedly. "And of course, we'll need a guide."

"Of course." Skye replied, giggling. "So, see you tomorrow at eight?"

 

**Author's Note:**

> Well, what did you think? Love it? Hate it? Interested to read more? Please leave a review and thanks for reading!


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